Sprint Hero OTA rolling out, may have issues

The 2.32.651.2 OTA for the Sprint Hero is still rolling out, and so are some bug reports. I'm hearing and seeing a bit too many reports of things like serious lag, to the point of a battery pull, or problems with contacts since accepting the OTA than usual. According to Sprint, the only thing users should see is an updated Sprint Zone, but there are a couple other bug fixes. Hopefully these are just isolated incidents, as you would think they have the Hero software down pat by now.

In any case, be warned before you click accept. Of course if you've rooted your Hero, you have nothing to worry about, because you shouldn't be accepting OTA updates. Get the update yet? Share your experience (and help out a fellow Hero user) in the forums. [via @dwthrman]

Gingerbread reportedly spotted in the wilds of Belgium

When you think of Belgium, lots of delicious things come to mind -- truffles, to-die-for dark chocolate, waffles, and now Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Android developer Christophe Versieux, author of the BeTrains Belgium app, sent us in a little tip that he has found an honest-to-goodness Gingerbread user running his app. The user string: "Dalvik/1.4.0 (Linux; U; Android Gingerbread Build/GRH14B )" lets us know that someone is running it outside of Google's Mountain View campus, and we know the build number. (Whether that ends up being the "release" build is anyone's guess; remember how many versions of Froyo we went through on the Nexus One.) Now all we need is the official announcement. Thanks Christophe!

For folks in the U.S., today is the beginning of a long weekend so we'll keep this brief so you all can get back to snagging some goodies from the kitchen, even though you've been told not to. Some stuff to keep you occupied while waiting for turkey:

Android apps to gain content ratings, as listed by the developers

Android applications soon will display content ratings in the Android Market, Google announced today. The four ratings that apps will fall under include:

All

Pre-teen

Teen

Mature

Starting next week, developers submitting new or updated apps will have to include one of the four ratings. Existing applications also will have to be rated in the coming weeks. Ratings will be listed by the developers, so it'll be interesting to see how and if this is policed. If no rating is listed, the app will default to "mature." We also have to wonder how long it'll take the carriers to offer some sort of parental control over what can be seen in the Android Market -- and that would have some pretty serious repercussions.

But we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. This is but one of a number of changes lately. Glad to see the Android Market growing and getting better. [Google]

Of course this is just an image given anonymously to the French tech blog nowhereelse.fr. It could be real, and has the name of Pierre Perron, director of Sony Ericsson France attached to it, or it could be fake. We'll know for sure in 15 days. [nowhereelse.fr (French) via Mobile Crunch]

Sony Ericsson explains why U.S. X10 hasn't been udpated yet

Sony Ericsson USA took to its Facebook page today to attempt to explain why the U.S. versions of the Xperia X10 have yet to be updated to Android 2.1. Here's the meat of the post:

One factor in determining a software update is when a country first received the handset. The Xperia™ X10 has been available in some countries since March 2010 and they are also the first to receive the update. The U.S. received the X10 in August 2010 and will receive the update after the initial countries.

The second and more impactful factor of the timeline addresses the technical requirements that must be met in order for an update to take place -- no matter which country you live in. Unfortunately, we have no control of that timeline factor. Those requirements are provided to us and we work hard to meet and test them as quickly as we can. In the U.S., the testing process is especially rigorous, and can take months to complete, which is why we cannot announce the timing for availability of the X10 update in the U.S. It's not that we don't want to; it's that the timing is undefined until such testing is completed.

These things do take time, we know. And it's a good point that the United States didn't get the Xperia X10 until some seven months after we first got a taste of it at CES. But even as rational as the explanation may be, it grows tougher and tougher to swallow as each day brings us that much closer to Android 2.3 Gingerbread -- and puts the X10 that much farther behind. [Facbeook]

Game Gripper now available for the Samsung Epic 4G

We've seen Game Gripper add support for plenty of other devices in the past and now, Game Gripper is sending out emails letting folks know their custom game controllers are now available to Sprint Epic 4G owners. Yes, you can head on over to the Game Gripper website and pick one of the 13 different variations available for your device. Of course it'll set you back $14.99 but like my Mother always tells me, "Maybe you can put it on your Christmas list". Check out the video of it in action after the break. Thanks, Brett! [Game Gripper]

Android garage door opener? Why not!

The more we use our Android devices on a daily basis, the more we look for ways to integrate them with the most simplistic tasks of our day. One user had a great thought to write their own application so that they could use their device to open the garage upon arrival to their house. Of course they were scared of the application opening the door from their job, or anywhere else, so they took some extra precautions, and the end result proved to be well worth it. Hit the source link for more information, and take a look with us after the break for the application in action. [via XDA]

Review: The Viewsonic 10-inch gTablet

Is Tegra 2 on a sub-$500 tablet too good to be true?

The gTablet is Viewsonic's entry into the sub-$500 Android tablet market. While there won't be any shortage of cheap Android tablets, readers, and toasters (we have to beat the PreCentral guys in the race for the first smart toaster!) come this Friday, a few stick out hardware-wise, and the gTablet is one of them. Just so happens that I got a few days of one-on-one time with a gTablet, so what better way to play with it than to give it a quick review.

Normally, none of us here would dare review a device we haven't put through the paces, but this one's a bit different, because this is much more useful before Black Friday than it would be after. Hit the break to see the whirlwind review of the gTabet. Special thanks to Chip!

Dell offering the Droid Incredible for free, throws in gift card

A big ol' Dell advertisement just hit ye olde inbox, and they've got some decent deals on a few Android smartphones. The Droid Incredible is going for the low, low price of free for new or upgrading customers who sign a two-year contract. They're throwing in free Verizon activation and shipping, too, plus a $25 Dell gift card. Also, the Evo 4G -- white and black -- is going for $99 on contract, and the Droid X is just $9.99. Tough deals to beat. [Dell]

European Motorola Defy to get upgrade to Android 2.2 in Q2 2011

Motorola has announced that the European version of its rugged Defy Android smartphone (see our hands-on) will be upgraded to Android 2.2 Froyo beginning in the second quarter of 2011. Also, the XT720 (see our hands-on) will end its life on Android 2.1. As for when the U.S. version of the Defy on T-Mobile will be upgraded to Froyo? No word. [Motorola]

Graffiti for Android, a great keyboard replacement that is fun to use

There are a ton of keyboard variations for the Android platform, and nearly one to match just about everyone's personal preference. Graffiti is a great keyboard replacement that has been available on the Palm OS for a while, and has finally been made available on Android.

What sets this keyboard apart from nearly all the rest is the fact that letters are actually drawn by the user, instead of selected on a keyboard that is displayed on the screen. For those who are used to taking notes, or writing instead of typing, this keyboard replacement will compliment your Android device very well. The application has been updated to version 2.0 which now allows for word learning, auto correction, as well as word prediction. The keyboard is priced at a very fair $0.00, but know upfront that it will take a little bit of getting used to in order to be able to use it efficiently. Luckily there is a great demo video that shows you exactly how to use it, and help you better understand it. Hit the break for the video as well as download information for Graffiti for Android.

Another browser exploit that we're not worried about is uncovered

Another exploit that affects the Android web browser has been uncovered -- this time it affects all versions, including Froyo. What happens is the user clicks a link, a file is downloaded, and it runs from the SD card -- allowing an attacker to possibly download a file on the SD card. The good news: No root exploiting, no changes can be made, and the attacker needs to know the file name and location.

The fellow who found the exploit has contacted Google, which said the issue will be addressed in an updated after Android 2.3 Gingerbread is released. And in the meantime, those concerned can unmount their SD card while browsing the internet. (The good news? It appears that Gingerbread is done, frozen, and waiting to be released!)

Or, like every other computer operating system on the planet, you could just not randomly click links from websites you don't trust. This exploit is something that should be addressed -- especially the bit where your browser will run an .html file after it's downloaded without warning you first, but the sky isn't falling, provided you use common sense. As Mr. Cannon notes, you can use Opera Mobile, which allows you to change your mind if you clicked to download a file.

Why I'm not worried: The exploit likely is a one-off (at least as it's currently explained), meaning it has to be written explicitly for a known folder and file on your SD card. OK, so pictures are pretty easy to get at, but it's still one at a time, and you have to know the exact file name. Seeing as how I don't advertise the full path to the items on my SD card, I'm not too concerned about this one. [thomascannon.net via Android Police]

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